Sutton Coldfield ( ) is a
town in the City of
Birmingham
, in the West
Midlands of England. Sutton (as it is often abbreviated
to) is located about from central Birmingham, in the northeast of
the city, with a population of
105,452 recorded in the
2001 census.
It forms part of the West Midlands
conurbation
.
Until the
Local Government Act 1972
came into force in 1974, Sutton Coldfield was a municipal borough in its own right and
part of Warwickshire
, with the title of Royal
Town. Many signs still record this fact.
History
Pre-Roman era
The
earliest known human developments in Sutton Coldfield are found in
Sutton
Park
. Several earth mounds have been discovered
in the park dating to
pre-Roman
times. Amongst these
mounds are
cooking sites, identifiable from the charred and cracked stones
within them. The Sutton Park fire of 1921 uncovered more mounds and
broken stones, leading to
excavations by the Birmingham
Archaeological Society in 1926 and then publishing their report on
their findings in 1927.
Flint arrowheads have also been discovered within Sutton
Park by German
prisoners-of-war
during World War II, who were allegedly allowed to take them back
to Germany . Another set of flint weapons were uncovered by a
gardener in Thornhill Road. The first signs of a developing
settlement are also located in Sutton Park, near Blackroot Pool.
Noted first in 1904 by Midgley, they were described as
earthworks "untouched by the
plough".
Roman period
A preserved section of
Icknield
Street is located within the park showing the presence of
Romans in the area. The preserved
length runs for through the park. It is believed that
Roman soldiers may have encamped on Rowton's
Hill in Sutton Park, as the name denotes "the camp on the hill".
There has been little archaeological work on the road though a
short trench was dug in February 1936 and another in May 1936.
Amongst the finds in the trenches and in other areas of the park
were
Roman coins from the reigns of
Constantine I and
Diocletian.
Post-Roman period
Upon the
Roman departure to
protect the Roman Empire on the
mainland in the 5th century, the area of Sutton Coldfield, still
undeveloped, passed into the Anglo Saxon
kingdom of Mercia
. It
is during this period that it is believed Sutton Coldfield may have
developed as a
hamlet and also
received its name.
A hunting lodge
was built at Maney Hill and became known as Southun or Sutton;
"ton" meaning townstead to the south of Tamworth
, the capital
of Mercia. Middleton
is situated between the two. "Coldfield"
denotes an area of land on the side of hill, that is exposed to the
weather. It may also denote a place where
charcoal burning took place. As a result of the
hunting lodge at Maney Hill, the area developed into a hamlet. In
1071, Sutton Coldfield, along with the rest of Mercia, passed into
the possession of the Crown, resulting in Sutton Chase becoming a
Royal Forest.
11th-14th centuries
At the time of the
Normans Domesday Book, Sutton was rated at eight
hides making it larger than all
surrounding villages in terms of cultivated land. A
manor was established in Sutton Coldfield at
what became known as Manor Hill during the
Middle Ages.
The manor was given to Henry I's son, Earl Roger, in exchange
for the manors of Hockham
and Langham
in Rutland
. As
Sutton Forest was no longer in the possession of the Crown, it was
renamed Sutton Chase. After Earl Roger's death, in 1153, a survey
of his possessions was carried out by Pope Alexander who notes
Sutton as being of 3 hides.
It is also noted that this was given to the
Priory of Trentham
.
The Sutton manor prospered, as did the developing village. In 1300,
Guy,
Earl of Warwick, was granted a
charter to hold a
market on each Tuesday and an annual fair on the eve
of Holy Trinity, in Sutton Coldfield.
The market town further prospered, though not at the
rate the nearby market town of Birmingham did. It was decided that Sutton needed a
chapel, and so the free chapel of
Saint
Blaise was constructed within the grounds of Sutton manor. The
chapel survived up until
Tudor times, when
it was destroyed.
Another church was built on a hill, above sea level. The first
incumbent was ordained in 1305. This was to become Holy Trinity
Church, and it became the local
parish
church.
During the 14th century, Sutton Coldfield
had also acquired other buildings such as New Hall Manor
, Peddimore
Hall
and Langley Hall
, all of which were moated. New Hall has been
expanded and altered, though part of the original structure
remains, Peddimore Hall has been completely reconstructed with the
current building dating to the 17th century, and Langley Hall has
been completely demolished though parts of Langley Hall Farm and
the moat remain. The oldest house in the Sutton district is The
Grove, a
cruck-framed building, though its
history is unknown.
15th-16th centuries
In 1419, Sir
Ralph Bracebridge
obtained a lease for his lifetime on the Manor and Chase of Sutton
Coldfield, from the Earl of Warwick. Sutton Coldfield became an
important training location for English soldiers during the wars
between England and France. Butts were constructed across the town
for archery training, and marks can still be seen in the sandstone
wall on 3 Coleshill Street where archers sharpened their arrows. It
is believed that 3 Coleshill Street is of medieval origin despite
having a Georgian façade. Bracebridge is remembered as having
dammed
Ebrook to form Bracebridge Pool
in Sutton Park. He used this pool for fishing, and occasionally
allowed the local residents to fish there too.
The
Wars of the Roses put an end
to the period of prosperity that Sutton Coldfield was undergoing.
It fell into decay and poverty became widespread. The Earl of
Warwick was killed in the war, and the manor of Sutton Coldfield
was passed into the possession of the Crown. The markets and fairs
in the town ceased, and the town depopulated.
Having lost its
importance, the Sutton manor was demolished, with the building
materials being reused in the construction of a mansion at Bradgate
in Leicestershire
.
It was during this period that John Harman grew up, working at Moor
Hall Farm.
He studied at Magdalen
College, Oxford
. He formed a friendship with
Thomas Wolsey and started a career in the
church, beginning with his appointment as chaplain at the free
chapel of St Blaize in Sutton. Harman continued to be promoted and
developed a position working for the monarchy. In 1519, Harman was
appointed
Bishop of Exeter and
changed his surname to Vesey, thus becoming
John Vesey. Vesey used his position within the
church, and the substantial wealth that came with his status, to
help Sutton Coldfield out of the period of depression. He revived
the markets, introduced paving of the roads, founded a grammar
school and constructed 51 large stone cottages around Sutton
Coldfield for the poor. One of his most well-known actions was to
convince his friend King Henry VIII to give the hunting land in
Sutton Coldfield to the residents. This was to become Sutton Park.
Vesey died at Moor Hall in Sutton Coldfield in 1555. His actions
helped regenerate Sutton Coldfield, and parts of his legacy remain.
Some of
the stone cottages still exist, the grammar school exists today as
Bishop
Vesey's Grammar School
and his additions and improvements to Holy Trinity
Church remain. He is remembered through various places
being granted the name Vesey, including the Birmingham City Council
ward Sutton
Vesey
and the memorial gardens adjacent to Holy Trinity
Church, Vesey Gardens.
17th century
Sutton Coldfield continued to expand and grow wealthier following
the death of Vesey. The town was barely affected by the
English Civil War, though it is known that
it was visited by both Parliamentary and Royalist soldiers.
Following the civil war, Sutton's royal charter was renewed. In
1668, Sutton Coldfield sustained extensive damage when the dam
holding back Wyndley Pool collapsed following a heavy storm. The
water flooded into Sutton Coldfield destroying many homes. The
flooding also caused Bracebridge Pool to break its banks on July
24, however, this did not cause as much damage.
Another man who rose to prominence in the area was
William Wilson who married a
local landowner.
He was responsible for the design and
construction of Four Oaks Hall
and the Moat House
, his home. The Four Oaks estate was built by
Lord Ffolliot, an Irish peer. During this time, the Sacheverell
family became proprietors to New Hall. After becoming unpopular in
Birmingham, they had moved to a new residence at New Hall and
preached at the local parish church.
18th century
At the turn of the 18th century, Sutton Coldfield was introduced to
industry. The manufacture of blades, gun barrels, spades and spade
handles as well as the grinding of knives, bayonets and axes,
further helped the town prosper. Mills were set up along the pools
in Sutton Park and on the banks of Ebrook. A cotton spinning
machine was tested at Powells Pool Mill (demolished in 1936) by
John Wyatt with the help of
Lewis Paul. These mills were not the
first in Sutton Coldfield, as there had been windmills at Maney
Hill and Langley Hall, but these were the first mills constructed
for industrial purposes in the town. It has been claimed that the
first all-steel garden fork was produced in the town. Pools that
had been drained during the 17th century for rich meadow land were
recreated in the 18th century, as well as new pools such as
Blackroot Pool and Longmoor Pool.
Sutton Coldfield's economy witnessed a boom in that the residents
were now experiencing new luxuries, such as seafood. Products for
sale in the town were 10% more expensive than in the neighbouring
villages. In 1791, following the
Priestley Riots in Birmingham,
William Hutton, whose
home had been attacked by protesters, travelled to Sutton Coldfield
to stay for the summer. Rioting was supposedly due to spread to
Sutton Coldfield. It was believed that
John Horsfall's home at Penns, in the south of
Sutton, was a target for the protesters and so cavalry arrived to
protect it. No rioting took place. Despite this, Hutton was forced
to move to Tamworth when local residents objected to his arrival,
fearing his presence would encourage the rioters to come to the
town.
19th century
The first census of Sutton Coldfield took place in 1801. It
recorded that the town had a population of 2,847. The following
census of 1811 recorded that this had risen to 2,959. This was
partially down to the construction of barracks to the east to
accommodate the Edinburgh and Sussex Militias, the 7th Dragoon
Guards and a Brigade of Artillery. In 1813, the Sutton Coldfield
Corporation announced they would open all springs in the town to
the public in the belief they may have healing properties. The
proposals were fulfilled in 1815 and all springs became popular.
However, the claimed healing properties of the springs was not
witnessed, except for at Rowtons Well which was quickly recommended
by the Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital.
In 1817, Sutton Coldfield was the focus of national attention when
a young woman named Mary Ashford was found murdered on Penns Lane.
The male she was with that evening was traced and charged with her
murder. The trial became known as
Ashford v. Thornton when the defendant, Abraham
Thornton challenged William Ashford to a duel claiming
trial by combat. Ashford refused and
Thornton was released. Soon after, trial by combat was abolished by
Parliament.
During the 1820s, schools were founded throughout the town by the
Corporation.
The Corporation also constructed almshouses on Mill Street and in Walmley
. In 1836,
George
Bodington acquired an asylum and sanatorium at Driffold House
(now the Empire cinema), Maney where he researched pulmonary
disease. In 1849, the original royal charters were sent to London
to be translated from Latin as a result of the skins on which they
were written beginning to deteriorate. In 1859, William Morris
Grundy, a wealthy local landowner, died leaving behind an estate
worth £25,000. His home, at what is now the Royal Hotel on the High
Street, looked over a hill and a sandstone barn constructed by
Bishop Vesey. This belonged to Grundy until his death. The land was
sold off in plots to developers who built homes along there. Some
of the land was sold to the Midland Railway Company for £4,000 when
it was discovered that it was to be part of their proposed new
line.
In
1862, Sutton Coldfield received a railway station; Sutton
Coldfield railway station
. The
Sutton Park
Line was then opened in the 1870s. The "Sutton Coldfield and
Erdington News", Sutton Coldfield's first newspaper, began printing
in 1869.
Sutton Coldfield received a water supply in
1892 when tapped water was brought to the town from Shenstone
. By then, the town already had a gas supply
which was provided by the Sutton Coldfield Gas, Light and Coke
Company.
Sutton Coldfield's growing population was reflected in the creation
of several new parishes during the 19th century and the
construction of new town halls. The census of 1881 revealed that
the population had increased from 4,662 in 1861 to 7,737. It was
claimed that the arrival of the railways in the town were
responsible for the population increase.
20th century
In the 20th century, Sutton Coldfield continued to grow. The areas
on the fringes of the district remained rural up until the end of
World War I.
As witnessed nationally, there was a house
construction boom in areas such as Boldmere
, Walmley and Four Oaks. Again, the population increased rapidly.
During World War II, Sutton Park and areas of Walmley were used as
prisoner-of-war camps, housing German and Italian prisoners. After
the war, Sutton witnessed a major redevelopment. The Parade in the
town centre was almost completely demolished for the construction
of a large new shopping centre named Gracechurch.
In addition, shopping
centres in New
Oscott
, Wylde
Green
and Mere Green
were constructed causing considerable objection as
many local landmarks were lost to the developers.
In 1974, Sutton Coldfield became part of Birmingham, to the
objection of local residents, when the
metropolitan county of the West
Midlands was formed. More recently, Sutton Coldfield has
undergone changes. Areas of the town centre have been
pedestrianised and the Gracechurch Centre, now The Mall, has been
improved. Construction of a large development along Brassington
Avenue is currently underway and construction of nearby apartment
buildings is complete.
Governance
In 1528, a charter of
King Henry
VIII gave the town the right to be known for ever as "The Royal
Town of Sutton Coldfield" and to be governed by a warden and
society. The charter was secured by
Bishop
John Vesey. This
unreformed
corporation survived until 1885, when it was replaced by a
municipal borough. Although the
title "Royal Town" was still used, the municipality created in 1885
was not itself a
Royal Borough.
The town
and borough were ceremonially part of Warwickshire until 1974, when it was amalgamated into the City
of Birmingham and the metropolitan
county of the West
Midlands. The formal Mayoral
chains of office are now on display in Birmingham
Council House
.
Sutton
Coldfield forms the Sutton Coldfield parliamentary
constituency
, the largest Parliamentary Constituency in
Birmingham whose Member of
Parliament since 2001 has been Andrew Mitchell (Conservative). Within the City of
Birmingham metropolitan borough, it comprises the wards of Sutton Four
Oaks
, Sutton
Trinity
, Sutton
Vesey and Sutton New Hall
. Sutton Trinity ward was created in June
2004, at which time the other three wards' boundaries were changed.
From 5 April 2004, it has been a
council
constituency, with many local services managed by a
district committee made up of all
Sutton's councillors.
Geography
Areas of Sutton Coldfield include:
The town
borders Erdington
and Kingstanding
in Birmingham, Streetly
in Walsall
, the district of North Warwickshire
and Lichfield
and Tamworth in Staffordshire. The area in general is
regarded as one of the most prestigious locations in the
West Midlands and Central England; a
2007 report by the website Mouseprice.com placed two Sutton
Coldfield streets amongst the 20 most expensive in the United
Kingdom.
The northern stretch of the Birmingham city
sandstone ridge culminates at Sutton Coldfield.
Plants Brook rises in the area of
Streetly and flows through Sutton Park and directly beneath the
town centre before culminating at Plantsbrook Nature Reserve in
Walmley Ash.
Retail
The main shopping centre is the
Sutton Coldfield Mall, which was built in 1974
as 'The Gracechurch Shopping Centre'. It changed its name after
being bought by the
The Mall
Company and was, by the end of 2008 rebranded 'The Mall, Sutton
Coldfield'. The Mall complex also includes a multi-story car park.
As a result of investment, the appearance of the shopping centre
was improved in 2006 which included the installation of a glass
roof above one of the walkways and the removal of a public square
to form a cafe and extra retail units. There are now plans to
construct a food court above Bishop's Court in the shopping centre.
The shopping centre was formerly home to three bronze sculptures
that depict, respectively, a boy and a girl on rollerskates, a boy
with a dog, and a boy and a girl playing leapfrog, which have been
moved to Rectory Park.
A second shopping centre was named the Sainsbury Centre until
Sainsbury's closed their store; the name was later changed to "The
Red Rose Centre". The centre has its own multi-storey car park with
access from Victoria Road.
Walmley Court in Walmley.
New Hall Walk is a row of shops built behind The Parade in the late
1990s. The company that manages the site also manages several of
the shops on the Parade built at the same time. It has its own
large outdoor car park. Opposite the Red Rose Centre, behind New
Hall Walk, is a single floor, indoor market facility known as the
In Shops. The exterior of the building was improved in 2005.
There are several local shopping parades serving the suburbs of
Sutton, including "The Lanes" Shopping Centre in Wylde Green, at
Walmley, at New Oscott (local shops and a large "out of town" style
development similar to New Hall Walk called Princess Park), and at
Boldmere Road.
Sport
Sutton
Coldfield is home to Sutton Coldfield Town F.C.
, which was founded in 1879 and also to Romulus F.C.
who share their ground at Coles Lane.
Golf is a major sport in the town, which is
home to numerous golf clubs and courses.
In the south of
Sutton Coldfield is Walmley Golf Club and Pype Hayes
Golf Course. There are also Aston Wood Golf
Club, Moor Hall Golf Club, Sutton Coldfield Golf Club, Little Aston
and Boldmere Golf Club.
Nearby is The Belfry
, a hotel with a renowned golf complex whose
Brabazon course has hosted the Ryder Cup
several times.
Sports
facilities, including swimming pool
and 400m athletics track, are located at
Wyndley Leisure Centre (which is undergoing a
major refurbishment), on the edge of Sutton Park. This was opened in 1971 by Ethel E.
Dunnett. The nearby youth centre was opened in September 1968.
Parts of Rectory Park is leased to Sutton Cricket Club and Sutton
Town Football Club.
Places of interest
Parkland
The area
is home to Sutton
Park, one of the largest urban parks in Europe and the
largest outside London. It has an area of and is used as
part of the course for the
Great
Midlands Fun Run, sponsored by the
Sutton Coldfield Observer. The
park is a
national nature
reserve and a
Site of Special Scientific
Interest.
New Hall Valley
, which separates Walmley and Maney, is the location
of New Hall
Valley Country Park
which was opened formally on August 29,
2005. It has an area of and within it is [New Hall
Mill]http://www.newhallmill.org.uk which is one of only two working
watermills in the West Midlands. The mill is privately owned but is
open to the public several times a year. There are also several
nature reserves including
Plants Brook Nature Reserve, in Walmley, and
Hill Hook Nature Reserve.
On the border between Sutton Coldfield and
Erdington is the extensive Pype Hayes Park and adjacent golf course, with the park
falling within Tyburn ward
but the golf course in Sutton New Hall.
Historic houses
Sutton Coldfield has been an affluent area in the past leading to
the construction of
manor and other
large houses.
Several have been renovated into hotels such
as the New Hall
Hotel, Moor Hall
Hotel
, Moxhull Hall
Hotel
, and Ramada Hotel and Resort
Penns
Hall
. Peddimore Hall, a Scheduled
Ancient Monument near Walmley, is a double moated hall used a
private residence. Demolished manor houses include Langley
Hall, the former residence of William Wilson and Four Oaks
Hall, designed by William Wilson. William Wilson is
also known to have designed Moat House and lived in it with his wife, Jane Pudsey.
It is
Grade II* listed.
Conservation areas
Lichfield Road from Vesey Gardens looking west into the High Street
conservation area.
There are two
conservation areas
in Sutton Coldfield. The High Street, King Edward's Square, Upper
Clifton Road, Mill Street, and the northern end of Coleshill Street
are protected by the High Street conservation area, which is part
covered by an
Article 4
Direction. At the centre of the conservation area is Holy
Trinity Church, which is fronted by the Vesey Memorial Gardens,
created in memory of Bishop John Vesey. The High Street
conservation area was designated on November 28, 1973 and extended
February 6, 1975, August 14, 1980 and again on July 16, 1992. It
covers an area of 16.95 square kilometres (41.87 acres).
Beyond
the railway bridge, which crosses the Sutton Park Line and
separates the Lichfield Road and High Street, is the Anchorage Road
conservation area which protects buildings such as Moat
House by William
Wilson. The conservation area was designated on October
15, 1992 and covers an area of 17.57 square kilometres (43.41
acres).
Religious buildings
Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Hill north of Sutton town
centre.
Holy Trinity Church is one of the oldest churches in the town,
having been established around 1300. The church has been expanded
over time, notably by John Vesey, Bishop of Exeter who built two
aisles and added an organ. His tomb is located within the church.
Outside of Sutton town centre, there are numerous other churches,
many of which are listed buildings. In Four Oaks is the Church of
All Saints which is a Grade B
locally
listed building. It was built in 1908 and designed by
Charles Bateman, whose
Arts and Crafts are seen in the
building. Another church in Four Oaks which is of a mixed Arts and
Crafts-Gothic style is Four Oaks Methodist Church, built between
1907 and 1908 to a design by
Crouch
and Butler. It is Grade II listed. The Methodist Hall attached
to it is also Grade II listed.
St Chad's Church near Walmley
In Mere Green is the Church of St Peter, also by Charles Bateman,
which was built between 1906 and 1908. The building is Grade II
listed. Also designed by Charles Bateman is the Church of St Chad
near Walmley. This was built between 1925 and 1927. The side chapel
was built in 1977 to a design by
Erie
Marriner. It is Grade II listed. St Johns Church, built in 1845
to a design by D. R. Hill, is located on the Walmley Road in
Walmley. It is the parish church for Walmley and is of a Norman
architectural style. It is Grade C locally listed. In Maney, near
Walmley, is St Peter's Church which began construction in 1905,
although the tower, which was designed by Cossins, Peacock and
Bewley, was constructed in 1935 and the building is Grade II
listed. Located on the border of Sutton town centre is Church Hall,
a former Roman Catholic Chapel, built around 1834. The building is
now used for offices and is Grade II listed.
Public facilities
Sutton Coldfield Library, opened in 1974, is
located in the town centre above the Red Rose Centre. It also
contains the Sutton Coldfield Reference Library, which holds a
large collection of newspapers and magazines with all Sutton
Coldfield based publications such as
Sutton Coldfield News and
Sutton Coldfield Observer being
held permanently.
The Town Hall
, a relic of Sutton Coldfield's former status as
a municipal borough, now serves as a theatre, conference, and
function venue.Sutton Coldfield has 3 Community Centres and
a number of smaller Community Halls all offering classes and events
in a wide verity of subjects and interests - see
Mere Green
Community Centre,
Falcon Lodge Community
Centre and
Brampton Hall Community
Centre. Good Hope Hospital
provides main hospital services to the town,
including accident and
emergency facilities. Another hospital in Sutton
Coldfield is Sutton Cottage Hospital, which is operated by the
Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust. It opened in 1908 and
the buildings were designed by
Herbert Tudor Buckland and
Edward Haywood-Farmer.
On Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield is served by a police station,
magistrates court (both opened in
1960) and fire station (opened 1963).
On the opposite side
of the road is Sutton Coldfield College
, which is the main college of further
education for the area. Also located on the north-eastern
outskirts of the area is Sutton
Coldfield transmitting station
, the first television transmitter to broadcast
outside the London area.
Transport
Linked by
regular and fast services from Sutton
Coldfield railway station on the Cross-City
Line to the centre of Birmingham, Sutton is mostly a commuter
dormitory town for people who work in Birmingham.
The 1955
Sutton
Coldfield rail crash
occurred here, when an express train entered the
very tight curve through the station much faster than the speed
limit of . The
Sutton Park
Line also crosses the town roughly perpendicular to the
cross-city line (crossing at a point out of easy sight near the
former Midland Road station), but lost its passenger services and
stations in the 1964
"Beeching Axe". It
retained a loading bay at the adjacent Clifton Road Royal Mail
sorting office for a time, but now remains as a freight only
line.
The
Roman road Icknield Street cuts through Sutton Park to the west of the town. The town is
bypassed to the north by the
M6 Toll, the
first toll motorway in the UK, accessible from Sutton by junction
T2 at Minworth (co-located with the
M42
junction), T3 and T4 (interchanging with the
A38 at the south and north ends of their parallel
run), and T5 at Shenstone.
It also has easy access to the M6 proper to the south, via junctions 5 (Castle
Bromwich), J6 (Gravelly Hill, or "Spaghetti
Junction"
) and J7 at Great Barr; and also the M42 in the east, via junction 9 near
Minworth. The
A38 itself used to run
through the centre of the town (literally, using the
since-pedestrianised line of the Parade), but now uses the dual
carriageway bypass to the east. The former route of the A38 is now
the
A5127 Lichfield Road, branching from the
southern end of the Aston Expressway on the Birmingham Middleway
ring road, and continues to provide a major connective route
running between and on slightly altered paths through the centres
of Erdington, Sutton and Lichfield.
The Parade in the town centre is the main destination and terminus
for numerous
National
Express West Midlands bus services in and through Sutton
Coldfield. Such routes as 'Sutton Lines', 'CrossCity route66' and
'Showcase377' and 'Showcase451'; to name just a few arterial
routes. The resultant congestion and perceived danger, from heavy
(and almost exclusively) bus traffic on the repurposed and poorly
sighted Lower Parade and Lower Queen Street coming into conflict
with pedestrians (including children from several local schools)
crossing between the Red Rose Centre and the other shopping areas,
has led to calls for a dedicated bus centre to be built external to
the town centre. This would be built as part of the controversial
Brassington Avenue development, with an elevated walkway across the
ring road providing access to the main shopping areas.
Education
Sutton
Coldfield Grammar School for Girls
is on Jockey Road (A453). Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, its male equivalent, is on Lichfield Road
(A5127/A453) in the centre of the town
adjacent to Birmingham Metropolitan
College
. The Arthur Terry School
is on Kittoe Road in Four
Oaks in the north of the town near Butlers Lane
station
. The John Willmott School
is on Reddicap Heath Road in the east of the
town. Opposite the school is
Fairfax
School.
The Plantsbrook School
is on Upper Holland Road near the centre of the
town in Maney
.
The
Bishop Walsh
Catholic School
is next to the Sutton
Park Line and New Hall Valley Country Park; the school is 10 minutes from Wylde Green. All these schools are for ages 11–18.
There are also a number of primary schools located in the town.
Whitehouse
Common Primary School in the Whitehouse Common
area, The Deanery Primary School, Holy Cross Infant
and Junior Catholic Primary School, and Walmley Primary School
serving the Walmley area. The Shrubbery
School, established in 1930, is a private primary school
located on the fringes of Walmley and Hollyfield primary located on
hollyfield rd founded in 1907.
Highclare School, founded in 1932, is a primary and
secondary school located on three sites in the Birmingham area.
Two of
the sites are located in Sutton Coldfield, with the other being
located in nearby Erdington. The Sutton Coldfield facilities are on the
Lichfield Road in the Four Oaks area and in the Wylde Green area to the south, which houses the
nursery.
St Nicholas Catholic Primary
School
in Jockey Road is a voluntary aided catholic primary
school. Established in 1967, there are currently about
210
students. The school is oversubscribed
and has exceptional academic standards.
Notable residents
A number of famous people were born or have lived in Sutton
Coldfield including:
Adventure Soft Publishing operates
from within the town; they have produced the successful
Simon the Sorcerer series of
games.
See also
Further reading
- The Gentleman's
Magazine (Vol. XXII), page 270, Sylvanus Urban, 1790
- Sutton Coldfield, 1974-84: The Story of a Decade: a Look at
Life and Events in the Royal Town, Douglas V. Jones, 1984,
Westwood Press Publications (ISBN 0-948025-00-X)
- Sutton Coldfield: a history & celebration, Alison
Reed; Francis Frith Collection, 2005 (ISBN 1-84589-218-6)
- Sutton Coldfield under the Earls of Warwick, Christine
Smith, 2002, Acorn (ISBN 1-903263-71-9)
References
- "Street Rankings 2007 National Report",
Mouseprice.com, accessed 17 September 2007
- Lucia Adams and Michael Moran, "The ten most expensive places to live in
Britain... and ten budget alternatives", The Times, 30 March 2007,
accessed 17 September 2007
- Anne Ashworth, "Why modest pensioners may be lumped in with London
super-rich", The
Times, 14 March 2007, accessed 17 September 2007
- Sainsbury's quits shopping centre, Birmingham Evening
Mail, February 27, 2001
- Birmingham City Council: High Street, Sutton
Coldfield Conservation Area map
- Birmingham City Council: Anchorage Road
Conservation Area map
- Holy Trinity Parish Church: History
- Birmingham.gov.uk: Bishop Vesey's Monument
- Birmingham City Council: Newspapers and Magazines
held in Sutton Coldfield Reference Library
- NHS Birmingham East and North PCT:
Hospitals
- Pastscape: Sutton Coldfield Hospital
- "St Nicholas Catholic Primary School",
Ofsted, 4 April 2006
- "School gets good report; Sutton Coldfield: Primary
is judged 'outstanding'", Tony Collins, Birmingham Mail, 25
April 2006
- "Parliamentary Election for the Crewe and Nantwich
Constituency - Statement of Persons Nominated". Crewe and
Nantwich Borough Council. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
- The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield: A Commemorative
History, Douglas V. Jones, 1984, Westwood Press Publications
(ISBN 0-9502636-7-2)
- A Short History of the Town and Chase of Sutton
Coldfield, W. Midgley, 1904, Midland Counties Herald
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